BR......please rethink your basic requirements (or better yet your motivations) for your big $ Norwegian expeditions. ANY cliff, no matter how tall .....is not for neophytes....
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BR......please rethink your basic requirements (or better yet your motivations) for your big $ Norwegian expeditions. ANY cliff, no matter how tall .....is not for neophytes....
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People have been going to Norway and dying long before BR (and other outfits) started taking organized groups. ( see http://juliabell.home.att.net/)
In fact, these trips have come about in answer to the problems of people showing up there with no help or experience at all.
BTW, There's no such thing as a BASE jump suitable for beginners. BASE jumping is not something you can dip a toe in and see how it goes . . .
If anything BR (and the others) have been instrumental in the creation of "requirements" where none existed before.
I guess it’s easy to take anonymous potshots at BR, however, they are furthering the sport and all you are doing is spitting in the soup we all have to eat.
Nick
BASE 194
:P
Yeah, I know...you guys do these trips out of the goodness of your hearts.....
Hi Nick,
I'm not mojomofo, but I do have an opinion that is somewhat related.
BR should establish a minimum number of BASE jumps, say 25 or 30, before accepting people onto their commercially guided expeditions. After 25 or 30 jumps, people are less likely to exit unstable (or at least will be able to deal with it within the 8 to 10 seconds allowed).
Just as commercial guiding companies require experience before climbing a difficult mountain, BR should require basic experience before taking people to a cliff.
For those reading this, don't twist what I'm saying into other things. Having BR by your side to supervise your jumps as a beginner is nothing but positive. They are very experienced and knowledgable jumpers. And if they want to run a commercially operated expedition, and they make money, good on them! They are making a dollar or two doing something they love and that is nothing but bonus in my book.
I'm simply expressing the opinion that they should raise the bar on the experience level of the clients they accept.
I'm also of the opinion that the Norwegian BASE Association should do the same. If people can afford to vacation in Norway, then they can afford to gain experience at spans that are very forgiving of off-heading openings, etc.
"Cliffs aren't for beginners."
I totally agree with this statement. Unfortunately, there are multiple factors putting beginners on cliffs, especially terminal cliffs in exotic locales.
If you are looking for people to criticize in this trend, however, I don't think that BR is a good place to start. I think that BR is the most responsible company operating in what is essentially an irresponsible field (guiding skydivers to exotic BASE locales). For example, they require (and can provide) BASE specific gear, additional instruction, and video de-briefing (not just "show me" video for the friends at home).
I'd start by taking a long hard look at other companies operating this way, beginning with the two well known groups (Aerial Focus and Aerial Extreme) running expeditions to a famous Cave and Waterfall. Both of those expeditions have far less experienced instructors, allow non-BASE specific gear, and provide limited de-brief (probably because of their limited instructor capacity). In at least one case (Aerial Extreme), they also advertise their "BASE Vacations" to skydivers with zero BASE experience at skydiving boogies (I can still hear Mark telling me "Of course it's ok to use a skydiving rig in Norway--it's 3000 feet. You'd skydive that rig from 3000 feet, wouldn't you? I have over 200 BASE jumps, and I know it's safe.")
The other major culprit in this equation is Skydiving Magazine. How many of us have seen articles in that magazine (whose general readership has zero BASE experience) which show pictures, give directions, and encourage "vacations" to popular BASE sites? Anyone see the last issue of Skydiving, with what was essentially a "skydiver's guide to American BASE's most precious object"? How many American skydivers decide to go for a BASE vacation to Norway, because of the spectacular photos and articles in Skydiving?
OK, I'm starting to get angry and ramble. My real point is that there are some far better targets for this kind of feedback than Basic Research.
--Tom Aiello
tbaiello@mac.com
P.S. Kudos to those companies who do not fall victim to the "bring a skydiver to raise cash" mentality (Consolidated Rigging springs to mind immediately). I hope AdrenalinExploits turns out to be one of them (they have a good reputation so far).
BR is probably the worst target you could have ever chosen for an attack of this nature. I am sick and tired of people always saying BR is doing this for the $. Not a single person working with BR is rich. They do not drive Ferraris or live in mansions. They are good people trying to make base a safer place for all of us to enjoy. There are better and easier ways to make money on this planet then teaching base-jumping to strangers. They teach because they love the sport and want it to grow. They have stepped over the edge and understand its beauty. They want to share this amazing activity with other people that want to learn. I don’t know of another organization that has done more for the sport of base-jumping period. Do not attack the very people that have dedicated there lives to saving yours.
Jeb Corliss
jeb@corliss.com
Hey Jeb
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I think U are the same Jeb I saw on a video called African Base ?
If it was you, just wanted to say awesome video,
I do'nt do base, but have huge admiration for your control. Respect Dude.
Be safe.
Thank you very much, I am glad you liked it.
Yo !
If you liked his self-control in '01 video, ask Jeb (privately) about African Base '00 story. Truly amazing! ;-)
bsbd!
Yuri.
The neophyte jumper killed last Tuesday @ Kjerag was my wife, Lori Barr. The report that she was "very unstable" on exit is almost certainly inaccurate.
According to Todd from BR who was with her @ exit and my video from the ground (pretty far away), her exit looks pretty darn good. Todd says he lost sight of her for a second or three and when he saw her again she was righting herself from a position he couldn't accurately identify (certainly she went over). He told me she ended up facing parallel to the wall, execueted a turn away from the wall and snaped quickly into a track that had not started to generate lateral movement when she struck the ledge. I acknowledge this is some second hand information.
The question about whether or not she should have been up there in the first place will haunt me forever. She had taken the BASE course with Anne @ Perrine and did great on her five whole jumps. After Perrine we asked many experienced BASE jumpers (200-600 jumps) "Where Next ?" Kjerag was a typical answer.
I have 2000 skydives but only eleven BASE jumps and acknowledge that all of you are better able to judge. I also took Anne and Todd's BASE course with Lori and was on the hike and jumped first. I believe these guys to be first class in every way and that a huge amount of attention was paid to training and ongoing evaluation of physical and psychological fitness of all of us on the mountain last week.
This is a dangerous sport, Lori and I knew the risks and I lost my best friend and a really cool and heroic person. I am profoundly sorry that another accident has threatened our/your sport.
If you're a friend of mine or Lori's or would like to know about memorial services, etc... please visit http://home.pacbell.net/riknlori (Family members are reading comments posted on that site so please, please consider this) If you'd just like more info about the accident email me @ riknlori@pacbell.net
God Bless You All
Rick Davis
San Francisco
To Rick (+ BR, and family and friends of Lori), my sincerest condolences for your tragedy.
>This is a dangerous sport, Lori and I knew the >risks and I lost my best friend and a really cool >and heroic person. I am profoundly sorry that >another accident has threatened our/your sport.
>The question about whether or not she should >have been up there in the first place will haunt me >forever.
Rick - I am amazed at your unselfish, considerate, and thought provoking comments considering what you are going through. Do not doubt Lori's involvement in BASE jumping. Many of us could theorise for centuries about what the ideal training methods, site selection criteria, jumper selection, etc are. Lori made the decision to jump and you were there with her. You were both guided by some of the best people (technical and personal) in the sport (Anne and Todd). I know this is diificult, but do not be haunted by what happened. The important thing is for all of us to learn from the experience and for you to remember the awesome times you have had with Lori. Stay Strong. Keep your Chin Up.
>She had taken the BASE course with
>Anne @ Perrine and did great on her five whole >jumps. After Perrine we asked many experienced >BASE jumpers (200-600 jumps) "Where Next ?" >Kjerag was a typical answer.
>I have 2000 skydives but only eleven BASE jumps >and acknowledge that all of you are better able to >judge.
There are many people who consider themselves experienced. Some of the "all of you" that you have mentioned may not be better able to judge than you. Some people on the BB are also blinded by their own inflexible / biased opinion - instead of objective commentary. Ignore those comments if they arise. Those that were there with you know better.
Again
My Condolences
Stay Safe
Have Fun
Good Luck
Tom B
Hi Yuri
Enjoyed your role in African Base also Bro...the wing-suit stuff at the end kicks Ass.
Looks like the video was a whole lotta fun to make, Moose and the guys are a great crew !
I will be visiting Milner Aphitheatre this summer to climb her walls, and who knows, may see U 'passing by'.
Respect.
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